Another beloved Kiwi campground for sale
he Big Bay Holiday Park — at 271 Big Bay Rd, Waiuku — is the latest on a growing list of seaside vacation venues being offered for sale.
The holiday park, comprising freehold land, buildings and a business, is being marketed by for sale by negotiation, through Bayleys Counties salespeople Ben Jameson and Shane Snijder. It features in Bayleys’ latest Total Property magazine out this week.
Big Bay Holiday Park on Awhitu Peninsula on the southern side of Manukau Harbour, i s spread over 1.52ha of land, says Jameson.
“It contains many accommodation options, from powered tent and caravan sites to budget cabins.
“The site has been operating as a campground for 36 years — establishing a core group of holidaymakers who camp at the park every Christmas/ New Year break. Owners Ian and Helen Parry have run the site as a lifestyle business for the past 14 years.”
Jameson says the seaside campground, some 90 minutes drive south of Auckland CBD is a virtual “turnkey” operation, complete with all operating infrastructure, including:
50 individual grassed sites for tents, caravans and campervans. Seven kitchenette cabins. Three fully self- contained units with kitchen and bathroom facilities.
A general store/ camp management office which doubles as the settlement’s corner dairy.
A three- bedroom owner/ manager’s house with elevated views out to the Manukau Harbour.
A take- away fish and chip outlet serving campers and the local community. Communal bathroom block. Parking for boats on trailers.
A communal cooking facility — with fridges, freezers, electric hobs and microwave ovens.
The campground’s busiest occupancy period is from a week before Christmas until the beginning of February when the school year began,” says Jameson.
The park is staffed throughout the year by the Parrys on a rostered basis, with additional part- time cleaning and administration workers brought in over the busier summer months between December and February.
Jameson points to numerous opportunities for the camp ground to grow its revenue streams.
The business is being sold as a going concern — with the majority of sites already booked for the coming summer.
“Big Bay Holiday Park could remain in its current format — creating acceptable ‘ lifestyle’ returns for the on- site owner/ operators. “Alternatively, it could be expanded — either adding more budget cabins, adding units with greater degrees of guest comforts, or establishing a cafe,” Jameson says.
“Moving up the add- value ladder, the flat topography of the park would perfectly suit the trend of accommodating refurbished 40- 60 ft ( 12- 18m) stainless steel shipping containers transformed into chic baches. These can be easily transported on and off most sites in a similar way to caravans — except that they are transported on the back of trucks.
“At the pinnacle of future- use opportunities, and of course subject to council consents, is the potential to build more salubrious permanent dwellings which could either be run as privately- owned or leased residences for exclusive use, or placed in the holiday park’s main accommodation pool when not used by the owners.
“Obviously the returns increase as the level of guest services and comforts increase,” Jamieson says.
The marketing of the Big Bay Holiday Park follows the recent sale of a nearby recreational camping and caravan park.
Port Waikato Holiday Park — just around the Manukau Harbour headlands from Big Bay — was bought by local Iwi Ngati Karewa and Ngati Tahinga in September.
The t wo organisations have expressed an intention to continue operating the park for recreational purposes in the immediate future, with the option of developing social housing for kaumatua over the longer term.
Like Big Bay Holiday Park, the Port Waikato camping and cabin amenity featured a range of self- contained accommodation units as well as communal kitchen and bathroom amenities, and an owner/ manager’s residence.
Big Bay Holiday Park has a council rating valuation of $ 1.125 million for the land and buildings alone, without the business.
Snijder says there are about 800sq m of buildings in the Big Bay Holiday Park site, which is zoned rural 1A.
The business has guaranteed income from 14 long- term leases to caravan and semi- permanent dwelling owners who have chosen to leave their vehicles and portable structures permanently on site.
He says the location, just 100 metres from the shores of the Manukau Harbour, is not only a natural attraction but also an added benefit for those sleeping under canvas.
“The sand- based soil strata beneath Big Bay Holiday Park means the water table drains quickly in times of heavy rainfall — an obvious benefit for those in tents who get caught in summer downpours.”